FC Barcelona's Franck Kessie celebrates scoring their first goal
Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Franck Kessie has been hailed as ‘amazing’ by Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson.
The Lowdown: Tottenham target Kessie
Kessie only arrived at Barcelona at the beginning of July, but the midfielder is already being linked with a move away from the Camp Nou, with Diario Sport last week reporting, via TEAMtalk, that Tottenham are the best positioned club for his signature.
The potential move away from the Spanish giants at such an early juncture is bolstered by the fact that the 25-year-old has appeared for just 212 minutes in La Liga so far this season, a little over two matches worth of game time, far less than he would have expected when agreeing a deal with the club.
The Latest: Robinson reacts
Football Insider report the Ivory Coast star is a ‘long-term’ target for Spurs and Antonio Conte, and while Robinson is quick to praise the player’s abilities, he also ponders whether he would be an upgrade on what Spurs currently have, telling FI:
“I’ve not seen much of him since he moved to Barcelona in all honesty.
“There is no doubting that he is an amazing player. The question is, would he come in and command a starting spot? Hojbjerg and Bentancur have done extremely well. [Yves] Bissouma has struggled to get a look in at times.
“Would Kessie upset that midfield? Maybe but I don’t think it’s a certainty. It’s really important that Spurs sign better than what they already have.”
The Verdict: Get it done?
The maestro is an all-rounder in the middle of the pitch, competent in a defensive sense but also very impressive going forward, meaning he would offer a range of qualities to the Tottenham midfield.
This is illustrated best the £69k-per-week earner’s remarkable 2020-21 season, registering 13 goals and six assists in Serie A alone, a fantastic tally for a midfielder, and his performances led to him being dubbed ‘sensational‘ by football writer Carlo Garganese.
In addition, an average of 1.61 blocks per 90 over the past year exhibits his defensive acumen, beating current holding midfield option Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who averages 1.43, and Rodrigo Bentancur with 1.37.
It has been hard for Kessie to display his ability in such a limited amount of game time, but if he made a transfer switch to Spurs, and was given a consistent run in the team, he could emerge as a very important player for Conte.
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